The Convenient Lie
by Jarnigan
Summary: Is it the ultimate betrayal, or the ultimate redemption? Rated M for language.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

The basement office was dimly lit by a single light on the large desk, just off-center of the room. Seated behind the desk, his head bowed, he couldn't believe the words that would fall next from her mouth.

"I don't feel that way about you," she said calmly without reservation.

He looked up at her, wetness beginning to fill his eyes, threatening to fall. "Why, Dana?" he asked incredulously. "I thought we shared something, meant something to each other. All this time we've spent together, things we've seen and talked about, and it means nothing?"

She looked away from him, not wanting him to see the lie that was in her eyes. "I'm sorry, it was only a work relationship; nothing more." God, this was hard. "I never meant to hurt you or lead you to believe otherwise." She was looking at him again. "I was here to do a job. We have to accept the assignments we are given."

"You, of all people…" Now it was his turn to look away. A tear fell from his face and splattered on the desk. She did not fail to see this, and she almost died inside. "I don't know if I can accept this," he mumbled. "I cannot accept that you could be used this way; that you would use me…." He was clearly emotional.

Gathering her purse, she turned to the door of the office and opened it to walk out, pausing just before the threshold. And without looking back, she uttered the two words that would seal Mulder's fate: "Goodbye, Fox."

Xxx

Agent Dana Scully, six year veteran of the FBI Paranormal Division, walked with purpose into the outer office of the Assistant Director. Taking the stairs had given her the opportunity to avoid cursory glances by other agents. The elevator would have been faster, but she had been through enough drama for one day. She needed to make it through this. Dana hoped that her face didn't betray what she was thinking. The A.D.'s secretary greeted her warmly. "Morning, Agent."

Agent Scully gave her a cursory nod. "Good Morning, Arlene", she said. "Is A.D. Skinner in? I need to speak with him."

Arlene thumbed through her Day Timer until she came up with the correct information. "He's in, but a conference is about to start. Is it important?"

'I'll say', Dana thought. "Yes." Arlene lit up the intercom.

"Agent Scully to see you, Sir," she intoned into the speaker.

'Send her in' the speaker crackled in response.

Dana smoothed the lapels of her Donna Karan jacket, grabbed the door knob and passed through. Skinner was waiting for her.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

This was not how things were supposed to have happened. Something wasn't right, and Fox Mulder didn't know where he had screwed it up. What had he done or said to make Dana say those things? Didn't he remember to cross all the T's and dot all I's? Or was this some kind of dream and he was going to find himself awake in a sweaty mess of sheets?

No, something had gone wrong, and it was something he had said. It had to be. This seemed to be par for the course. He usually made some remark that caused Scully to roll her eyes in that way that secretly made him smile. But this time, she wasn't smiling.

'Think, damn you, think.' He kept telling himself over and over in his mind, replaying the scene.

Xxx

"How did he take it?" Skinner asked with a little more care in his voice than he would have liked to show.

Dana cleared her throat and sniffed. "Not well, I'm afraid." She paused. "But, that's what the desired effect is supposed to be, now isn't it? Get him to be utterly despondent and broken? Reduce him to nothing? His life's work, in ruins?"

Skinner eyed her with skepticism. "You know full well your role from the beginning was to not get personally involved in this, Agent," he intoned. "You knew the consequences."

"But that doesn't make it any less palatable, now does it?" she asked, removing a tissue from her pocket, dabbing her eyes. "It had to be personal, or it would not have been believable. Blevins and his superiors knew this from the start. Even the Smoking Bastard knew, and God knows what stake he has in all this."

Skinner knew his agents better than anyone, even more so than the Smoking Man or Blevins. There was something she wasn't telling him, and however much it might pain him to know the truth, she would need to tell him. He sat behind his desk, removed his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose before addressing her again. "How far did you go, Agent Scully?" he asked. "How close did you allow Mulder to get to you?"

Dana looked to her left and down at her feet before looking him directly in the eyes, defying him to look away from her. "He fell in love with me, Sir," she said bluntly. Her blue eyes began to moisten. "He told me how much he loved me, wanted me, and needed me. I let him make love to me."

Skinner looked uncomfortable, loosening his tie, but his eyes never left hers. "But…?" he asked.

"But….I….I told him I had no feelings for him," she said calmly, dabbing her eyes again, and sniffing once more. "It was a bigger lie than spying on him. I think he could live with that, but not without being loved. His parents…" She sat down in her customary facing chair. "I've probably killed him."

Xxx

Fox sat at his desk in the basement lair, thinking, going over the past several months of their working relationship in his mind. Something was bound to jump out at him. When Agent Scully had first come to work with him, he halfheartedly thought that she had been sent to spy on him. That uncertainty had become a reality when he discovered documents in her computer: reports to Section Chief Blevins about their cases, and specifically Mulder's suppositions on those cases; theories, MO's, hints of alien abductions, or anything that even hinted of the paranormal.

To the untrained eye, it would have appeared as though her field reports were innocuous enough, but he could see beyond the fluff and prose. She was doing her damnedest to persecute him, but all the while making it look like he himself was doing it. She agreed with him only when it was absolutely necessary. She had seen enough to believe, so why was she having such a hard time doing so? Did it really rock the foundations of her religion and science that much? To the point that she was closed minded to all other possibilities other than the ones she deemed worthy of pursuit or that were tangible?

At some point, he had begun to care for her. To love her. And to him, it appeared that she had those same feelings for him. She responded with intimate touches and a closeness that no other woman had ever given him, not Phoebe, not Diana. They breathed one another's air. Shared spaces. Lived each other's souls. An intimate trust that transcended friendship.

At least that's what he thought.

And then, one night, she slept with him. He wasn't sure who instigated it, but it didn't really matter now. He was overcome with joy and was saddened when it was over and done, but damn what an utterly incredible night they'd spent together. Their lovemaking was almost ritualistic.

He remembered her screaming 'Fox' when she came, and whispering something about 'love'. And he remembered something else…he wondered why he had almost blocked it out…those four innocent words, words that would seemingly change everything…'Diana…I love you…'


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Dana fumbled for the keys to her car in the garage, her purse's contents shifting back and forth heavily in their designer clutch. A faint whiff of cigarette smoke reached her nostrils causing her to turn around and stare blankly into the soulless gaze of the Cigarette Smoking Man.

"Agent Scully," he rasped, "fancy meeting you here. Hope you're not hurrying out on a hot lead or something?"

Dana looked at him as though he had two heads. "What are you doing here?" she asked icily, not really wanting to talk to the man, but being unable to keep from it. "Didn't you get what you wanted? Didn't everything work out to your satisfaction? I know that somehow, you're the reason this has to be this way. What more do you want from me?"

"I had hoped you and I could become friends." He stamped out his butt and lit another cigarette. Dana blanched.

"Friends? Is that what you think we are? I just tell my one true best friend that I have no feelings for him at all and you think "we're" friends? What are you smoking?" She was getting mad, not really wanting to pursue this line of conversation, especially with this putrid excuse for a human being.

The Smoking Man took a long drag, waiting five seconds before exhaling in her general direction. "Everyone has a purpose and plays a part, Agent Scully," he said. "Agent Mulder had his own part to play, as did you. We needed him fully discredited for our mission to continue. You helped. Well, you had no choice, really, now did you?"

Dana thought about this for a moment. So the threats weren't just idle ones after all. "The things I said to him…the things I did to him…" she could not finish her sentence.

"He can never know your true feelings, Agent," the Smoking Man said, drawing the last of the nicotine of his smoke. "Mulder's a man of reason and logic. He'll think about it, piece it together, and come up with some explanation that will suit the situation and that will be it. Whether it's the right one or not, who cares?"

'I care', Dana thought to herself. "So now we're finished?" she asked, knowing full well what the answer will be.

"Not until we say so," he toned, hollowly. "Good evening." And with that, he disappeared into the shadows.

Xxx

"Dude," Richard Langly said, "I don't know what you did, but you look like Hell."

Fox Mulder strode past his blond-haired friend after the big, heavy door was opened to the Lone Gunmen HQ.

"I feel like Hell," Mulder replied, wiping his chin, four days growth on his face. "My brain has gone ten rounds with Mayweather. You got anything to drink?"

John Fitzgerald Byers looked up from his newspaper. "We've got some vodka and pizza," he chirped.

"Great."

"Mulder, Buddy! How's it hangin'? Where the enigmatic Dr. Scully?" The voice was Melvin Frohike's but came from another room. Mulder liked Frohike, but sometimes he could be a real toad.

"Beats the shit out of me," Mulder sighed. "I haven't seen or heard from her in two weeks." At this news, Frohike appeared and all Three Stooges looked at Mulder in amazement.

"You're kidding, right?" Frohike asked, a note of concern in his voice. "You two are practically joined at the lips. Where one goes, the other's not far behind. Frick and Frack. I don't get it."

"I don't either." Mulder had a slice of pizza in his hand and plopped down on the couch next to Byers. "We had a…ahem….'discussion'…at the office, and that's the last I saw her."

Langly had been eyeing his friend since he came in. Mulder's shoulders were slumped and his whole demeanor was as though someone had sucker-punched him. "So I take it this isn't a social visit?"

Mulder looked around the room as though this was the first time he had ever been to the Lone Gunmen's place. He sighed. "I need your help."

Frohike stood up. "Say no more, we'll be glad…."

"I need you to track her cell phone without her knowledge."

Byers coughed. "Whoa there, Mulder. That's illegal. Not saying that everything we do is on the up and up, but we're talking an FBI issued cell phone here."

Mulder looked down, a bottle of vodka on the table. Byers wasn't kidding. He poured himself a glass. "Guys, I'm hurting. I can't explain it. I wish I could. I've called her, she won't answer. I don't know what else to do."

There was a pregnant pause. Frohike spoke first. "I know what the problem is," he said. "We all do. We don't blame you. Have you considered all possibilities?"

Mulder thought a moment. "Yes…" He hadn't really thought of ALL possibilities, but he wasn't going to tell them that.

Langly spoke next. "I can put a trace on the net, log her email accounts, credit cards, bank accounts. We'll find her."

Xxx

Dana Scully sat on the bed in room 103 at the Motel 6 just off Route 55, 66 miles West of Washington, DC. Her laptop was open on the table next to the window. As she contemplated taking a shower, a 'ding' sounded signifying an email had been received.

Rising, she leaned over the monitor and clicked 'OPEN'. It was from her contact. The plan was already in motion. Mulder had already made arrangements to try to find her, and it was planned for the contact to stall as long as possible for her to get out of Virginia.

The part of discrediting Mulder had not been her idea, but that of the remnants of the Syndicate, a bastion of evil men bent on saving mankind from an Alien Invasion that never happened. Mulder and to an extent, Scully, had been used as a pawn to expose this 'alien' takeover. They had used him for years, holding his sister over his head like a dog treat, as a means to get him to do their bidding, although unknowingly.

Agent Scully had been approached to spy on him, by whatever means necessary to find out exactly what he knew, and how deeply committed he was to figuring out the conspiracy. Dana gave herself over to him, but not entirely out of the mission.

It would be a convenient lie, she reasoned, to admit that she didn't love him. She did love him. Not at first, but as time went along working with him, she grew to love him, and it was this deceit that she could not abide by. The bigger lie: telling him she had no feelings for him at all; would hurt in the long run, but he would get over it. She, on the other hand, had a more serious problem.

She was carrying a child….and only three people knew this. And they had been sworn to secrecy.

Xxx

Thick clouds of putrid smoke filled the air as the Smoking Man dragged on his cigarette in the dark paneled office. His gaze never left the man sitting behind the large desk; imposing, and a force to be reckoned with.

"I assume you know what you're doing?" the spectacled man asked.

Smoking Man coughed up phlegm. "Why, yes," he sputtered. "I always know to the n'th degree what I'm doing. You should take lessons from me."

The spectacled man laughed. "That won't be necessary. I trust you. But how can you be sure that Agent Scully is on her way to Indiana?"

The older man lit another cancer stick, and dragged heavily. "My sources say she is on her way there now. She's making her way to the Shenandoah Valley, then it'll be just across West Virginia and on into Ohio, and then… . Mulder will have no choice but to follow her, and then the final loose end will be neatly wrapped up."

"Good. It's a shame it has to come to this, but it's all for the best."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

As Agent Scully stepped into her motel room from the shower, her phone chirped. She allowed her towel to fall carelessly to her feet as she flipped it open to answer.

"Dana Scully."

"Miss Scully, this is Miss Freedland from the Borderland Institute. I just wanted to confirm that you are still planning to arrive within the next few days for your scheduled appointment with Dr. Borderland."

"Yes," Dana said, as she smoothed her hand across her abdomen. "I plan to be there on Thursday. Will she be in the office then?"

"Yes, Ms. Scully, she will be expecting you," Miss Freedland hummed into the phone.

"OK, I'll see you then." She snapped the phone closed. Thank God she had insisted on no phone traces. Emails were harder to track, so it would be easier to delay Mulder in finding her. She only hoped her contact was resilient to Mulder's charms.

Xxx

"OK, we've got a hit," Frohike said, punching information into the computer as he spoke. "She last used her credit card at a Motel 6, West of DC."

"How long ago was this?" Mulder scanned the monitor, like an expectant child at Christmas.

"Four days."

Mulder rubbed his chin, the stubble irritating him. "What the hell was she doing there?"

Byers, Frohike, and Langly looked at each other and then to Mulder. "Did she take vacation time?" Langly proffered.

"No. We had already used that three months ago after our last case."

Byers began packing an overnight bag. "Well, we can start putting some things together," he said, "do some reconnaissance. Find out what's going on."

"I need to do this alone, guys…."

"Mulder," Frohike broke in, "no you can't. You need our help. You'll never find her. And going off half-cocked, not knowing what the situation is, you might get killed. Might get her killed."

Byers chimed in. "Yeah, besides, we're your friends, and you asked for our help."

"And you're gonna get it," Langly added. "Now, go clean up."

Xxx

A gunmetal gray Ford Crown Vic pulled up at the Motel 6 just outside Linden, VA, its four occupants not even remotely trying to look inconspicuous. Mulder was dressed in his company clothes, and the Lone Gunmen wore their standard attire.

Mulder and Company made their way to the clerk's office and he flashed his badge.

"Morning. I'm Agent Mulder with the FBI, and these are my associates."

"Hi, I'm Susie," the clerk smiled. "How can I help you?"

Byers spoke up. "We were wondering if you saw this woman here four days ago. Her name is Dana Scully." He offered her a candid shot of Scully, smiling radiantly at the camera.

Susie studied the photo. "Yes, she was in Room 103, I believe. Let me check...ah, yes. She stayed for two days."

Mulder chimed in. "Was she alone? Did she have any visitors?"

Susie shook her head. "I'm not sure. I don't work all the time, but I do remember her leaving and coming back several times during her stay."

"Really?" Mulder was thinking hard. "How long was she gone?"

"Couple hours each time." Susie coughed. "Is she in trouble?"

"She might be," Mulder offered. "It's really important we find her. Did she happen to say where she was going when she checked out? She give an address or anything?"

Susie typed into the computer. "No…but she did head west on 55. She mentioned off-handedly that she was avoiding the Interstate as much as possible. I don't know if that means anything."

Frohike asked the next question. "Would it be ok if we looked at her room?"

"Sure. The maid has cleaned it, but you're welcome to check it out. I hope you find her. She seemed to be a nice woman. She was very pretty."

All four men smiled at this.

Xxx

"She's crossed into West Virginia," the labored voice cracked over the phone.

"Good. But isn't this cutting it close? Mulder shouldn't be onto her this quickly."

The Smoking Man drawled on his cigarette one last time before stamping it out in the phone booth. "Don't worry about it. It's taken care of."

The line went dead.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Langly's phone chirped. "Hello? This isn't a secured line."

"Stall."

"Thank you for the information." Langly hung up.

Mulder looked quizzically at him. "What was that about?"

Langly needed an answer and fast. "One of our sources hasn't come up with any traffic on Agent Scully's email accounts or internet searches. It seems like she's deliberately not using the computer to keep from being found."

"But she's using a credit card," Mulder said, "and she's going to need gas eventually, unless she drained her bank accounts. What about the bank? Did you check that?"

"We can run it."

Mulder slipped the key card into the slot for 103 and turned the handle. The room had been freshly cleaned, but something could possibly turn up. They would have to check everything.

"What first, Boss Man?" Frohike asked.

"Dust for prints. Check for insects. The usual suspects." Mulder stepped into the bathroom.

Byers opened his bug detecting kit. He got a hit almost immediately. "This is insane," he whispered.

"What is it?" Frohike whispered back.

"The phone's tapped, and there's a listening device in the lamp."

"That's crazy."

Langly joined them. "That phone call was 'them'." He kept his voice low so Mulder couldn't hear him. "He said 'Stall', and hung up. What the hell are we going to do?"

"What are we going to do about what?" Mulder asked, stepping back into the room?

"This room is hot," Frohike said, flapping his shirt collar back and forth, motioning for Mulder to keep his voice down. "Let's step outside."

All four men filed out into the hallway. "What's up?" Mulder asked.

"The place is bugged. Lamp, phone, God knows what else, but that's what we've found so far," Byers said. "Are you sure Agent Scully isn't in some kind of trouble?"

"No, I'm sure…at least…"

"Mulder,' Frohike interrupted, "be honest with us."

They walked back towards the car. "OK," Mulder began. "Scully had been sent to spy on me. I found out by snooping through her laptop, reviewing her case notes. She painted a pretty damning picture of me trying to hang myself, discrediting my work."

"Wait," Frohike said, "you're saying she was put up to this?"

"Yes, but that's not the problem. Dana and I developed feelings for one another."

"Tell us something we don't know," Langly smiled. "Dude, that's old news."

"We've been sleeping together."

To Mulder, you would think that a bombshell such as this would have registered some shock on his friend's faces. But it was almost like they were expecting him to say it. Almost as if they knew, but that couldn't be. Their tryst that night was something they had not shared with anyone that he knew of.

"OK, so that's not entirely out of the realm of reality. You're both reasonably attractive people. I'm sure it was bound to happen," Byers said, as a way of covering their apparent lack of shock.

"That's just it…I think she was told to do it."

"Man, that's insane. And you know it," Frohike said. "We all know the way Agent Scully thinks and there is no way somebody is getting her to do anything unless…"

At that moment, Mulder's cell phone chirped. He flipped it open. "Mulder."

"Agent Mulder, where are you?" the voice on the other side inquired.

"Sir, I'm with some associates, and we've got a lead on the whereabouts of Agent Scully and are…"

"Agent Mulder," A.D. Skinner's voice sounded perturbed. "Agent Scully isn't missing. She took a leave of absence with her mother and took a trip. A visit to her mother's sister in West Point, Indiana."

"Thank you, Sir."

"Mulder, I need you back in D.C. this afternoon."

"Can't do that, Sir." Mulder punched off.

Byers looked at Mulder with puzzlement. "What was that about?"

"Somebody's lying, or deliberately trying to mislead us," Mulder said. "That was Skinner. He said Dana and Margaret are on their way to visit her mother's sister in West Point, Indiana. He told me she had taken a leave of absence."

Mulder darted to the motel office.

Frohike looked at his two comrades. They made for the car and got in. "Guys, what the hell is going on here? We know for a fact that Mrs. Scully isn't with Dana at all. I think we're being played."

"I know," Byers said. "I hate it. But what are we supposed to do?"

"We could just tell him," Langly said. "How would they ever know?"

Mulder came back out to the car. "Just as I thought…The motel maid said Scully was alone. Her mother was not with her, and nobody else with the name Scully checked into the motel at the same time."

Langly was punching up some coordinates on his laptop. "Mulder, there's a bar not too far from here. Why not let's go there for a while?"

"Why?"

The Lone Gunmen looked at him. Frohike spoke. "We need to talk."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Dana Scully pulled into the Wayside Motel in Follansbee, WV on Monday evening. Rain lightly misted the windshield of her Ford Aspire. She pulled her suitcase and computer out of the way back, and made her way to the office.

"Yes, I'd like a room for the night." She shifted from one foot to the other.

The spectacled clerk looked at her. "Yer not from aroun' here, are ya?" he asked.

"No, I'm from Maryland. Taking a trip to clear my head and rejuvenate myself."

"I see."

Scully was a little unnerved, but tossed it away. "How much?" she asked as she pulled out her wallet.

The clerk typed into the computer. "That'll be $37.50. You wanna pay cash or credit?"

Scully knew Mulder was following her and that his only way of finding her was through her credit card receipts. However, she also knew that things were going to get hairy and that there were multiple players involved. "I'll pay cash."

Xxx

Four disillusioned souls sat at a corner booth in the dimly lit Wayfarer's Bar & Grill later that evening, nursing their drinks and weighing heavily into their thoughts. Mulder, wondering if Scully was O.K. and as to where she could be going, and the boys trying to figure a way to broach the subject they knew needed airing.

A lazy haze hung in the air like a fog and smelled of cheap cigarettes, piss and vomit.

"Nice place you picked here, Langly," Frohike intoned. "I think I'm gonna be sick."

"I didn't hear you offer up any suggestions," Langly snapped back. "At least they have A-1…"

Mulder broke in. "Guys! What the hell is going on?"

"Mulder, we know where Scully is going," Byers said flatly. "We've always known." He could see Mulder's ire raising its ugly head. "But, before you decide to kill us, we had no choice. It's not something we wanted to do, and even tried to get out of it. Frohike's van was bombed; Langly's cat skinned alive. I almost got mowed down crossing the street."

"These fucks mean business." That came from Frohike's general direction.

Mulder stared. "What the hell are you saying? You're in on it?"

The Three Musketeers looked at each other and back at their friend. "Yes," they chorused.

"Well, isn't that some shit," Mulder spat. "I thought I could trust you guys. Guess I was wrong."

"You can trust us," Byers said. "That's why we're telling you now. Before something dire happens."

Mulder stroked his chin. "Someone just please tell me the truth."

Frohike pulled a manila envelope from his jacket. "Agent Scully's pregnant." He looked at Mulder. "She didn't want you to know."

Mulder ripped the envelope to gain access to its contents. He studied the papers, and blankly looked into space as they fell to the table. "It's mine, isn't it?"

The boys looked at each other again, not really sure how much they should tell him, and then decided to just go all in.

Byers began. "Agent Scully was hired by the syndicate to spy on you, discredit you, to ruin you. She never intended for it to go any further than that."

Mulder just sat listening, maybe slightly hearing, but not really tuned in.

"They came to her right out of the Academy. Told her they would make it worth her while. She kept very detailed notes on your investigations."

"Yeah, I saw those in her laptop," Mulder said. "They weren't too hard to find."

Langly spoke next. "They were meant for you to find. Those are her cover notes. The detailed ones you never saw. Very damning information. The syndicate has all the information they need to bury you to China and back."

Mulder began to get interested. "But the Syndicate is dead, gone, finished."

"No they're not," Frohike chimed in. "It was and has been their sole purpose to eliminate you from the game from day one. Your father, Scully's first abduction; which was faked by the way. Alvin Kurtzweil was part of it, too. He had to get you to believe the whole thing. I guess we're not saints in that department, either."

A large bosomed waitress walked over to their table with fresh drinks. Conversation immediately quieted down. No need for this to get out in public.

"Just….I….why?" Mulder asked as if he were going to cry.

"You were getting too close to the truth," Byers added. "Your sister was dead the next day after her abduction. Your father saw to that. They killed him when he threatened to go public. I believe the double agent Krycek did that. Agent Scully had already been implanted in the office, had her feelers out. Got all she needed."

"No, if that were true she would have been gone long ago," Mulder said flatly. "She would have no reason to stay. Why rub salt in the wound?"

Frohike cleared his throat and took a sip of his drink. "I think she fell in love with you. And what she's doing is her way of redeeming herself."

Mulder stared at the men seated across from him. "Redeeming herself of what?"

"What she had done, what had been done to you," Langly said. "There is some information that has come to light to us recently through deep Syndicate channels that she isn't even aware of. The child she's carrying might not be yours. She thinks it is. We are not 100 percent on that. There is an obscure place in Canton, Ohio called the Borderland Institute. She's going there to…"

Mulder's face went ashen. "To kill it," he mumbled.

The other men sat silently for a moment. "We're sorry, Mulder," Frohike said. "We know you love her and always have. That's why we kid you about it all the time. But this is serious. The Syndicate has no idea that she's doing this. They believe her to be on her way to Indiana, but they have no idea why. We've been giving them false information for weeks. Damn the consequences."

And at that moment, a very buxom waitress picks up a cell phone and presses #1

Xxx

The Leer Jet screamed across the sky on its way from California. A man with piercing blue eyes and black hair was seated comfortably in a high-backed swivel chair sipping on a mimosa when a steward handed him a phone on a silver serving tray.

"This is he," he spoke into the phone. "That is interesting…are they still there….all four of them…have they made any phone calls….no, that's not necessary…thank you."

The steward returned to his cubical. The blue-eyed man pulled another phone from his inside jacket pocket. He tapped a few numbers. After a moment, coughing could be heard on the other end.

"We have a problem…."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

After their meeting at the Wayfarer, Mulder and Company decided to bed down for the night at the closest hole in the wall. It didn't even look like a standard motel, but at least the sheets were clean and the bed warm.

Fox unlocked the door to the adjoining room so he could regroup with the boys. Langly's lap top was out, and he was feverishly punching the keys. Byers sat in a nearby chair flipping through a travel magazine, while Frohike lounged on one of the double beds. The TV flickered but there was no sound.

"Hey look, 'Mystery Science Theater' is on," he warbled.

Mulder sat on the other bed and stared helplessly at his hands. Whatever this was, was huge. He had not thought of all possibilities. And the thoughts he 'was' having bordered upon insanity.

Finally he spoke. "So, do we have names for our players, yet?" He looked over at Langly.

"Umm….Cancer Dude is one, and Agent Scully is another." Langly continued typing. "Other than that…"

"Don't forget you three," Mulder said sarcastically.

Frohike looked at him. "That was cold."

"What? I'm just supposed to forget that my friends are trying to sell me out?"

Byers threw the magazine on the table. "That's not what we're doing," he said. "Agent Scully came to us, and asked for our help. She didn't ask you because she knew you'd be this way. She said you always go off 'half-cocked' and she didn't want that this time."

Mulder thought about that for a moment. Dana was right, he did do that. He had always done that, from their first case, leaping to conclusions that usually got one or the other or both into trouble.

"She also told us something weird, too." Frohike was next. "She said you two had started using first names now. I thought that was a no-no?"

Mulder sighed. "It was time," he said. "When you begin sleeping with someone, the line: 'nobody calls me Fox', won't wash anymore."

At that exact moment, there was a knock on the door. Mulder instinctively removed his gun from its holster. Langly slammed the computer shut. Mulder moved to the door and spoke: "Who is it?"

A crisp voice boomed on the other side: "A.D. Skinner. Open up, Agent Mulder. We need to talk. Now!"

Mulder unchained the door and opened it. Skinner was obviously irritated, but he wasn't angry. "Mulder, what the Hell are you up to?"

Skinner walked in and then noticed the Three Musketeers in the room with Mulder. "Oh, I see your 'associates' are here," he said. "Maybe you three should hire on with the FBI."

He turned back to Mulder. "Look, I know what you're doing, but we've been over this," he said. "Agent Scully just took personal time."

Langly chimed in. "Um, that's not entirely accurate. This is something really big and we've identified at least one baddie in the mix. Just before you knocked, I got another hit. There's no name, but looks to be a heavy hitter, also."

Skinner looked back at Mulder. "Wanna fill me in, Agent?"

Mulder took a seat. "Sir, Agent Scully is on her way to the Borderland Institute. The boys gave me information that says she's pregnant. I think she's going to kill it."

Skinner looked at the four men. "That makes no sense," he said. "If she needed that kind of treatment, she could just go to her regular doc..." He paused. "What did you say the name of the place was?"

"The Borderland Institute." Langly opened up his computer. "She has an appointment there Thursday. There's no information about it anywhere. We assumed it was an abortion clinic."

Skinner bowed his head. He sighed.

Mulder's eyes widened "What is it?"

"The Borderland Institute is a government research facility, not an abortion clinic." Skinner paused. "So that's what they're up to," he finished. "We need to get back to D.C. and fast."

"But Dana's life might be danger," Mulder cried.

"It already is," Skinner intoned.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

Tuesday morning, 6:00 am. Fox Mulder awoke to a chime on his computer. An email, from Dana:

"Dear Fox:

I'm sorry it came down to this, but I had no choice. They came to me and told me I had to spy on you, to figure out exactly what and how much you knew of their plans. Alien Colonization does exist and they are planning something big. I'm not entirely sure what, but I can assure you: you were and have always been right.

It was their intent to kill you if I didn't discredit your work. I fell for you the moment I saw you, hunched over your slides in the basement. All of our years of cases, and it grew. I couldn't stop it.

But you continued to get closer and they tried various means to get you to go away. You are relentless, and never give up a good chase.

This last time, they threatened my brothers, my mother. To do horrible, unspeakable things to them if I didn't fully cooperate. They had me, and they knew it.

I'm telling you this because I know you are coming for me. But it's not going to end the way you want it to. I don't care what they do to me, but I could not allow them to hurt you or my family. Your career will be saved. You will have won.

My one constant these many years is your love for me. I know it was the only one true thing I could count on. You meant the world to me, and I'm sorry for the lie.

I love you,

Dana"

Fox Mulder stared blankly at the screen. He pulled out his phone, and dialed. "Sir…I think you need to see this."

Xxx

Langly tapped away at his laptop like there was no tomorrow. No record of a Borderland Institute anywhere on the net. No Doctor Borderland. Nothing. He had been trying since last night in the motel.

All the boys were working at a relentless pace to come up with a scenario that fit the puzzle pieces now thrown into their box. With Skinner's revelation, it was no longer a race to find Scully, but a race to save Scully's life.

Cancer Man had been there all along, right in the first meeting. He was in hip deep and his involvement meant someone was pulling the strings. Cancer takes orders, doesn't he? Or does he?

Scanning files on the dark web, was beginning to prove fruitless. They had never been this unsuccessful before. It's like someone was watching them, but that would be impossible. All firewalls were in place, all protocols logged. Nothing could get by them.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

A.D. Skinner perused the screen showing Mulder's email. He was not surprised. He had known. Or at least suspected.

"What do you make of it, Sir?" Mulder asked. "Anything pop?"

"Does this mean I can call you 'Fox' now?" Skinner quipped. "Seriously, I don't know what I make of it. There's not a lot here."

Mulder printed out the email. "There's got to be something here. This is the first communication I've had from her since our blow up in the office. "

Skinner looked again. "Maybe she's going to get a study done or something. Maybe its case related."

Mulder had not thought about research. "Maybe it's something to do with her pregnancy," he said. "The boys wouldn't tell me if it was mine. What if it's 'other-worldly'?"

"Mulder, get ahold of yourself," Skinner spat. "Do you know how ludicrous that sounds?"

"You remember the second abduction, the experiments they did to her," Mulder explained. "What if it had something to do with that?"

Skinner's mind began to race. I've got to come up with something convincing, or he's going to figure it out. "You imagined all that," he said. "You yourself said you don't even remember there even being a spaceship, and Scully was too weak to give a reliable statement. Never mind that the honeybee went missing, so any proof there, is probably never to be seen again."

'Dammit! Why am I in this predicament?' Skinner thought. 'Oh, yeah. That's why. I work for the highest bidder. Mulder is getting too close. Got to reel him back.'

"Look," Skinner began, "like you said, maybe she's having tests done on the pregnancy because she was exposed in the past. Just to be sure nothing's wrong."

"But why at a secret government research facility, that nobody seems to know about?" Mulder inquired.

"You know doctors in this town. Can't keep a secret."

Xxx

Langly wiped his eyes, and stared back at his screen not believing what he was reading. A transcribed phone conversation between someone in VA and re-routed through A.D. Skinner's office.

There's four of them.

What are they doing?

Just sitting there.

Are they talking?

Yes. In hushed tones. The short, fat one just produced an envelope.

Well, this is not good.

Shall I interrupt them?

Serve them again, and see what comes of it.

There was a second conversation transcribed from VA to air, somewhere over Arizona.

This is he.

We have a problem.

I'm sure it nothing we can't handle.

Subject is close, too close.

I'll take care of it.

Holy Hell! This isn't good, Langly thought. From outward appearances, it would seem Skinner is working for the Syndicate. But that's ridiculous. Skinner is Mulder's boss and friend. What could he be up to?

And then he remembered something. Skinner had shown up at the motel. How did he know where they were?

Xxx

1:00 pm Tuesday and Cigarette Smoking Man entered the large paneled office and closed the door with a barely audible click. The man in the room faced the window overlooking the skyline of Washington, D.C. "Is it taken care of?" he asked.

Smoking Man lit up a Morley and dragged heavily. "There's a slight bump in the road," he said, "but it's nothing we can't handle. Agent Scully is actually going to the research facility. Our 'sources' have been feeding us a line this whole time."

The other man did not turn around. "How unfortunate. So what's the plan?"

Smoking Man exhaled. "Your associate is arriving later this evening at Akron-Canton in Green, Ohio."

"Yes. I'm taking a private plane there tomorrow morning. Who's going to be there when this goes down?" He continued to look outside.

"Why, all of them," Smoking Man intoned. "It's the perfect scenario. We take out the facility and our favorite Agent in one fell swoop. Any other casualties is just icing on the cake."

"Good. I'll make sure the UH-60's are on standby. We don't want any fuck ups. Take out anyone who gets in the way."


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

"I'm telling you, he's dirty," Langly said to Frohike and Byers as they stepped off the elevator in Mulder's apartment building.

"I can't believe that," Byers said. "He seemed genuinely concerned about Agent Scully's whereabouts. It's doesn't make sense."

The trio stopped at apartment '42' and knocked. Mulder answered the door. "Come in, guys," he said.

They did as requested and were shocked to see A.D. Skinner already there. Each one looked at the other and then to Skinner and Mulder.

"Mulder, we think your friend here is up to no good," Frohike stated flatly.

Skinner looked at them suspiciously. "What did you say?" he asked.

"You're dirty, and you know it. Why not just come clean?" Langly asked. "I've got proof."

Mulder's face was ashen. "Goddammit, Skinner, you too?"

Skinner looked like the cat who caught the canary. "It…it's not what you think. Yes, I work for them. They threatened to kill me if I didn't. It's not cut and dried. I was only to get you to believe that Agent Scully was going to Indiana. But when you mentioned the Borderland Institute, I knew I had been used for something far worse."

"I'm lost," Frohike said. He looked at Mulder. "You believe this?"

Mulder had just been standing there. He wanted to leap on this man and choke the life out of him, but Skinner was far more powerful. He wouldn't have a chance. "Let him continue," he said.

"Well," Skinner began, "I hadn't pieced it together until right then. Scully might be trying to expose the Syndicate at the Institute herself. I'm not exactly sure how, but if they've figured out where she's going, it's an almost certainty they plan to kill her."

Mulder spoke next. "But why the ruse about Indiana? They could have killed her there."

"No, if she were really going to Indiana, and you were following her, the plan most likely was to kill you. She's the only reason you aren't dead right now. But this new development with the pregnancy. It still doesn't make a lot of sense…"

Byers produced a sheet of paper from his inside lapel pocket. "We have this," he said, handing it to Skinner.

Skinner looked it over, his eyes darting back and forth. "I never had this conversation," he said. "I wasn't even in the office. I was on my way tracking Mulder down. Shit! They're using me, too. Dammit!"

Mulder sat on the couch. The only light coming in the room from the window, casting shadows against the other four visitors. He rubbed his hands through his hair. "What shall we do? We have to stop her."

Skinner looked at Mulder with a touch of sympathy. "Look, I don't expect you to forgive me," he said. "I think she wants this. I'm willing to help try and stop her, if you'll let me, but I can't be held responsible if something goes wrong."

"All right," Mulder said as he looked at his companions, "let's go."

Xxx

Wednesday evening, and Dana Scully sat on the bed of the latest motel, just outside the city limits of Canton. She was loading her SIG 228. Tomorrow was the day: the day when all Hell would break loose. A day that was a long time coming, and surely one that would be remembered.

She knew all the players, save one. She wasn't entirely sure who that one would be, but it wouldn't matter in the long run.

Her gambit was simple: get in, get the information, the cavalry would arrive, and the Syndicate would be exposed. The only hiccup in the whole matter would be sacrificing herself for the greater good.

She hated herself for deceiving Fox the way she had, and sending him an email with one clue in it as to what was going to happen was her way of saying "I'm sorry."

The pregnancy just added salt to the wound. She knew she could not ever bare children. She had conducted several tests and the proof was right there. The second Mulder had injected her with anti-serum during her second abduction, he chemically sterilized her. He had absolutely no knowledge of this. They most certainly implanted something inside her on the ship before Mulder got there. It defied all reason and logic.

Dana had wanted to tell him. But that would surely have killed him even more so than what has transpired so far.

No…this was the only way.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

Thursday morning, 7:00 am. Two military UH-60s sat in line on the tarmac at Akron-Canton as the service car pulled up. The spectacled man stepped out of the car, and spoke to each pilot, detailing their roles. Nothing could stop this now. It was do or die.

Piercing blue eyed man accompanied the spectacled man into a hangar where an armored car lay in wait for them.

Xxx

Dana's Ford Aspire pulled up to the gate of the Borderland Institute. She exhaled uneasily as the guard stepped forward with his clipboard.

"Name?"

"Dana Scully. I have an appointment with Dr. Borderland."

The guard perused the sheets. "Building 1013, on the right just past the electrical grid."

"Thank you." Dana lightly toed the accelerator and made her way inside the facility. 'One down,' she thought. 'You can do this.'

She eased the car into a space next to the entrance on the side of the building. The three buildings were arranged in an "L" shape, with hers forming the base of the "L". 100 yards to the north of the building was a warehouse.

Exiting her car, she headed inside to the reception desk. "Dr. Borderland, please," she inquired.

"Down the hall and to the left." The receptionist didn't even look up.

Making her way down the hall, Dana noticed a green door opening and a man stepping out. He wore glasses. Immediate recognition.

"Agent Scully," he said. "So nice of you to join us." He produced a gun from his jacket.

"I was wondering when you were going to show, Kersh," Dana spat. "Mulder and I have been nothing but thorns in your side since you came on board. And now, here we are."

"Yes, here we are. By the way, where is Agent Mulder anyway?" Kersh motioned for her to join him in the next open room, his gun never leaving her direction.

"I haven't spoken to him," Dana said. Piercing blue eyed man came up behind her and pushed her up against a desk. He frisked her roughly, producing the SIG 228.

"Tsk, tsk, Ms. Scully," Kersh said. "You knew we would search you. What do you expect to find here?"

"The truth, for starters."

"Truth is subjective. We manufacture our own truth. You are a part of that truth. And Mulder to a point. Easily manipulated chess pieces in a game of our design." He motioned for her to walk toward a side door. Upon opening it, she found the three of them in a courtyard. Less than 100 yards away was the warehouse she had seen earlier. Two helicopters glided overhead and landed on pads not far from them. Dana did not fail to notice that they were weaponized.

"Expecting trouble?" she asked sarcastically, as they moved in the direction of the warehouse.

"Preparing for all contingencies," Kersh said. "I know Mulder's coming, and I know he's not coming alone. The two of you are persistent, I'll give you that. Tell, me, did Mulder put you up to this?"

Dana swallowed imperceptibly. "Fox would never allow me to sacrifice myself for him. You should know that by now. I decided to take a stand, expose you fuckers once and for all. Let the chips fall where they may. "

"How very cavalier you," Kersh intoned. "Pity. I had higher aspirations for you." They walked a little further. "Stop right there. Now turn around."

Dana did as she was told. "I know I was just an experiment to you people," she said. "My life just a meaningless existence. You couldn't just leave us alone, could you? No, you had to play your games, fuck with people's minds. Tear apart their souls. You and your kind are everything I hate about this world. At least Fox…"

At that split second, an air-raid siren sounded a deafening scream. Two FBI assault trucks barreled thru the gate and took out the fence surrounding the court yard where Kersh, Dana, and Piercing blue eyes stood.

The two helicopters lifted off the ground, and sprayed the landscape with bullets. Various cars were spilling through the gate. One of the trucks blew into a 1000 pieces.

Dana turned to look at Kersh for a split second. He didn't hesitate. One pull of the trigger and it was over.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

Fox Mulder witnessed with horror from his seat in the second assault truck, the events unfold before him. The bullet impact sent Dana's body in a backward trajectory. Her arms flailed out from her sides. Her head snapped back as her body slammed to the ground in what seemed to him like slow motion.

His truck slammed to a halt. Piling out, each man took cover from the UH-60s as best they could.

"Sharpshooters in position!" Mulder yelled into his radio. "Take your shots. NOW!"

The spray of bullets continued for what seemed like minutes. From both sides. One of the helicopters spun wildly out of control as its pilot was hit dead center. It careened into the other helicopter exploding it upon impact.

As the smoke began to clear, the courtyard revealed itself littered with debris. Mulder ran to Dana as fast as he could. He was not prepared for what he saw.

She was dead. Dana's body lay on the ground, one arm across her abdomen as if to protect it. Her left leg, bent to one side. Her head lay in a pool of blood, from the single gunshot to her forehead, the blood starting to turn her red hair black. Her nose and mouth were bloodied and her lips slightly parted. Her blue eyes stared into the sky, unknowing.

Mulder fell to his knees beside her and cradled her broken body in his arms. He brushed her hair out of her face, not caring that he was getting blood all over him. Skinner approached cautiously.

"I'm sorry, Mulder," he apologized. "I'm really sorry."

Mulder was sobbing, lightly, mumbling unintelligible words. Skinner placed his hand on Mulder's shoulder. His eyes began to moisten. "Get up, son. There's nothing more you can do for her."

"It's my fault, Sir," Mulder spoke. "I should have listened to her. Should have paid more attention to what was going on. With us, with work. She wanted a life and I pushed her."

Next to the bushes, near the edge of the courtyard, a faint moaning could be heard. Skinner strode over to investigate. Just behind the bushes was Kersh, bleeding from his right arm.

"Walter Skinner, I should have known," he croaked. "Should have gotten rid of you when I had the…"

His last words were silenced by the report of Skinner's gun.

An agent ran up to Mulder and Skinner, out of breath. "Sir, Mulder, the two of you need to see this."

The three of them ran to the warehouse, whose door had been blown open in the fracas. Inside, in neat rows, connected to wires and tubes were hundreds of thousands of cryogenically frozen embryonic alien fetuses. Beyond those were tanks with humans in special solutions similar to the case where Deep Throat had led Mulder to a secret storage facility owned by Dr. Terrance Berube.

"Oh my God," Skinner whispered.

"Jesus, she was right."

"What?"

"Remember the email?" Mulder asked. "She said I had been right from the beginning. Here it is. It's all here. She gave her life for this…"

"So we could expose them for who they really are," Skinner finished. He looked around for an agent. "Barnes, seal the area. Maintain a perimeter. Nothing and I mean nothing leaves this building, you got that?"

"Yes SIR!"

Xxx

Standing at the edge of the parking lot, Byers, Frohike and Langly had just arrived in another FBI car along with two Special Agents.

Mulder and Skinner were walking toward them. They could see Mulder's clothes were bloody, but he otherwise appeared fine.

"Mulder," Byers started, "is everything O.K?" The other two hung expectantly on those words.

Mulder just looked at the trio and slowly shook his head.

"No…"

Ambulances were beginning to arrive. "If it's O.K. with you Sir, I'll escort Dana to the morgue," Mulder said. "I need to call Margaret."

When Frohike heard the word 'morgue', he almost lost it. He was going to miss his enigmatic Dr. Scully.

Xxx

"News reports are slowly coming in about an FBI raid on a secret facility devoted to human cloning. Shots were fired and it appears at least two Federal Officers were killed in the firefight. More at 11:00."

-click-

"It is just coming to light in an FBI raid that Aliens are indeed, among us. Special Agent Dana Katherine Scully, a member of the so called 'X-Files', was killed during the firefight that erupted at a clandestine site just outside Canton, Ohio. It is not clear what prompted the raid, but sources say on condition of anonymity, that a possible government cover-up was involved."

-click-

"We interrupt our regular programming for this Special Report…we go live to Washington, D.C. where FBI Assistant Director Walter Skinner is briefing reporters:

"All I can tell you is that a conspiracy of some type has been uncovered

at a warehouse in Southern Ohio. It would appear it is highly sophisticated

on several levels. Leads are progressing. Unfortunately one of our agents Dana

Scully was killed during the raid on the facility. Her partner Special Agent Fox

Mulder will be taking an indefinite leave of absence from the Bureau. Thank

you, but that's all I have for now."

-click-

Smoking Man threw the remote on the coffee table in his flea-bitten apartment. It was dark and cigarette smoke wafted around him like a campfire.

"Goddamn..."


End file.
